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Neocron
In one form or another, Neocron has been in existence for nearly a quarter of a millennium. Influenced by conflict and technological advances, the city has grown almost exponentially since its creation; from a military outpost to a colossal metropolis worthy of the century from which its technology originated. 'Creation' Originally a fortress built to commemorate the end of a battle between two tribes, Neocron was erected by Crahn - following the advice of his Psi Monk allies - upon the remains of the settlement once held by his rival, Thor. Taking six years to build, the first incarnation of Neocron was completed in 2533 and resembled little more than an elaborate military town, allowing Crahn's tribe to live in relative luxury while striking fear in any who encountered their new home. Although Thor and some of his warriors survived the battle, the loss of the vast majority of his forces ensured their capture. However, he and fifty warriors eventually manage to escape and flee west, where they forged an alliance with Ceres. 'The Emergence of the Ceres Disks' Despite the Ceres Holodisks being found by Ceres, Thor and Mecando and not Crahn, the first leader of Neocron was by no means deterred by the discovery. Once again utilising his allies' talents, he successfully implants Psi Monks into Thor's Ceres Project, using them as moles who feed him technological information from the holodisks. 'The Battle of Neocron and a New Leader' In his dying moments at some point in the year 2557, Mecando tells Thor and Ceres about a significant advance in weapon technology he had been developing. Instead of conventional firearms, Mecando had successfully created a weapon capable of firing bundled masses of energy, inadvertently succeeding in the post-apocalyptic 26th Century where well-funded scientists in the pre-war 22nd Century had failed. Ignoring Ceres' urges to forget about Neocron and to leave the fortress be, Thor orders his men to begin developing copies of Mecando's prototype. By the following spring, they manage to construct enough weapons to outfit a small army and, seizing the initiative, Thor marches on Neocron. Although Crahn had been receiving information from the Ceres Disks the entire time, Neocron's ability to resist the onslaught which descended upon them - even with the Psi Monks' assistance - was no match for Thor's attacking force. Quickly driven from his own fortress, Crahn managed to retreat into the wastelands with a group of Psi Monks in tow. In addition to freeing the remainder of his surviving forces from Crahn's prison, Thor is somewhat surprised to see Crahn's abandoned tribesmen also heralding him as a saviour. Having been mistreated ever since Crahn came to power, they had become disillusioned with both him and the Monks and, despite their attempts to control the flow of information from the outside, they were still able to hear tales of how magnanimous and noble Thor apparently was. Following his escape, Crahn builds yet another fortification; this time a cathedral. He remains there until his death, whereupon his trusted bodyguards honour him by founding the Brotherhood of Crahn. 'The Order of Succession' Just seven years after liberating Neocron, Thor decides that his time as a strong leader has come to an end. Handing the reins of the city to his son Regant, the change in leadership quickly becomes apparent. Regant soon begins a program of advancement, adhering to his own dream of seeing Neocron become the most modern and powerful city in the known world. It isn't long before Regant hears news of the completion of the city created by his father's ally. Called the Dome Of York, Ceres tells Regant of the method he chose to protect his city against the radiation; a solid dome much like the one used in pre-war Tokyo that gives the city its name. Having been educated through his formative years by Caalron, Mecando's intellectual successor, Regant is a firm believer in energy-based technology and, rather than emulate Ceres' idea, he decides to put plans in motion to erect the emitters for a magnetic shield which he believes would protect the inhabitants from the radiation without the need for a physical structure covering the entire city. Within five years, however, Regant discovers that his self-created measures are insufficient. Realising that the people are suffering from a disease derived from what is essentially radiation sickness, he petitions Ceres to give him a copy of the Ceres Disks in order to help refine his original plans. Even with Thor dead and Ceres now sixty-five years of age, his father's ally is still bitter about the actions which led to Neocron's liberation. Having had his warnings concerning bloodshed fall on deaf ears in the past, Ceres declines Regant's request and explains that any form of alliance between Neocron and the Dome of York is an impossibility. By the year 2575 - a full decade after Regant assumed leadership of Neocron - the radiation-based affliction has claimed thousands of lives. Even with medics and the healing abilities of the Psi Monks at his disposal, Regant is unable to stem the tide of casualties. He requests Ceres' assistance a second time. In addition to refusing Thor's son once more, he declares the illness rampaging through Neocron as the vengeance from the God of Blinding Light, who is punishing Neocron and its inhabitants for their pointless bloodshed. Outraged by Ceres' continued refusal to render assistance, Regant begins to prepare his troops for war. 'The Battle For The Ceres Holodisks' With the attempts at negotiation going nowhere, both Regant and Ceres begin development of new weapons for the inevitable war. Regant orders the Psi Monks to utilise their expertise in genetic engineering to develop a breed of super-soldier. Once the first batch of GenTanks are complete, they are ordered to man hovertanks; a spiritual successor to the armoured vehicles used by the pre-war military. Meanwhile, Ceres begins work on a bipedal mechanised weapon platform. Looking vaguely humanoid in nature, the warbots carry colossal weapons on their arms and shoulders which would be impossible for any person to otherwise wield. The year 2577 marks the last of Regant's attempts to obtain a copy of the Ceres Disks through diplomatic means. He issues Ceres with an ultimatum: give him the holodisks by the end of the year... or he will take them by force. Given that he and the holodisks share the same name, Ceres declares them to be his and his alone, rather than the hereditary birthright of the son of the man who led the expedition which found them. The following year, Regant throws his forces northward, attacking the Dome Of York with everything at his disposal. His plan is to crush Ceres' forces quickly under overwhelming firepower and numbers but, as his forces quickly discover, Ceres has more than enough to hold Regant at a stalemate. What was intended to be a quick skirmish over in a few months ends up being the longest war recorded in post-war society, lasting until the year 2785. During the course of the fighting, Ceres' scientists develop a large radiation-dispensing bomb based on pre-war nuclear weaponry. With his Warbots being both purely mechanical and already shielded to resist such destructive power, the Warbots are unaffected by both the radiation and the electromagnetic pulse stemming from the blast. Regant's GenTank army, on the other hand, are laid completely to waste, leaving him at a massive disadvantage. Seizing the upper hand, Ceres develops a second bomb and, with it, holds Neocron to ransom; threatening to detonate the bomb over the city if Regant fails to surrender within the week. Unbeknownst to Ceres', the Psi Monks under Regant's command quickly use fallen Warbots to emulate the shielding technology, incorporating it into suits of powered armour specifically designed to house the GenTanks. Now completely protected from the radiation, and their military prowess augmented by the armour, the GenTanks overwhelm Ceres' forces and invade the Dome of York. After overthrowing the government, Ceres is hauled out into the street and publicly executed. Regant seizes the Ceres Holodisks and begins to reveal the knowledge to the public. He then appoints someone from his own ranks to become the new leader of Ceres' domed city, who supervises the reconstruction efforts. 'The Psi Monk Aftermath' Due to the weapons employed by Ceres during the war, however, the radiation blanketing the landscape has become increasingly virulent. Even with the best radiation shielding available, it is nearly impossible for anyone to make a non-stop journey from Neocron to the Dome of York without suffering permanent damage. Over the next quarter of a century, both cities rapidly develop in isolation from one another. While the Dome of York is mostly concerned with rebuilding their infrastructure, Neocron is able to grow and prosper. The main four districts of Neocron - the Plaza, Via Rosso, Pepper Park and the Outzone - are established during this time. The program which created the GenTanks is discontinued and the survivors from the war are left to their own devices. The Psi Monks use their influence to take control of the military. The Neocron Security Division - Crahn's intelligence agency which took advantage of the Monks' psychic abilities - also gains in strength, establishing internment camps in the wastelands surrounding Neocron in which political prisoners are held and tortured. In the year 2611, having suffered from radiation sickness for a number of years, Regant finally dies. While he managed to name a successor before his death, the fact that the successor was found murdered shortly before his official rise to power leaves a power vacuum the Psi Monks are only too happy to fill. Under the Psi Monks' ruthless rule, the legal system becomes a lot more rigorous but, by way of compensation, the amount of progress Neocron makes is vastly increased. Now able to utilise the knowledge of the Ceres Holodisks as much as Regant wanted before his war with Ceres, they eventually make use of the entirety of the Holodisks' data. 'The Modern Government' The Psi Monks hold dominion over the city of Neocron for over a century, during which time they make a variety of accomplishments. In addition to re-establishing an uplink to both the satellites orbiting Earth and the long-abandoned Red Terra installation on Mars, the Psi Monks launch a generation ship - called Avenger - which begins the 90-year journey to Irata-3. They are finally overthrown following a revolution in the year 2724, after which Lioon Reza, a former member of the Psi Monk's governmental security force, founds the City Administration and installs himself as the city's first - and, as of the year 2750, only - President.